Faith: Hindu

“It is not just beautiful monuments which are there for tourists,” says Christian Manhart of UNESCO. The temples and religious sites in Nepal, damaged so badly in last year’s earthquake, are also used by the people of the country. “It’s a very strong living culture.” More →

Cows are considered sacred by Hindus in India. They were the favorite animal of Lord Krishna, and they serve as a symbol of wealth, strength, and abundance. But people who want to protect these creatures must also deal with those who think cows are little more than a nuisance. More →

On August 17, Hindus around the world will celebrate the birth of Krishna, a major Hindu deity usually depicted as a blue-skinned young man. Nidhi Singh was our guide at a Hindu temple in Chantilly, Virginia during the annual Krishna festival. Originally broadcast August 22, 2008.More →

With millions of people in India suffering from mental illnesses and only five thousand psychiatrists to treat them, many seek out faith healers to fill in the gap. “Access to care is not there, lack of professionals, lack of medication, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, so all this leads to only one thing,” says mental health advocate Milesh Hamlai. “You go to the easiest and the most available source of help.” More →

“Yoga’s techniques and goals move in and through and outside of religion in very interesting and complex ways,” says Debra Diamond, associate curator of south and southeastern Asian art for the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer and Sackler galleries. Following its Washington debut, “Yoga: The Art of Transformation,” an exhibition on yoga in Indian art history, was at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, and it will soon travel to the Cleveland Museum of Art for the summer. More →

Maha Kumba Mela or Big Pitcher festival commemorates a story that describes the god Vishnu’s fight with demons to gain possession of a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. During the battle, some drops fell to the earth on the pilgrimage sites. More →